Sjolseth-1

Daisy Sjolseth

Troy

AP English Literature

12 May 2017

Emotional Perspectives: Viewing Circumstances through a Personal Lens

Emotions are hard to define due to their complex nature. Although everyone has

experienced an emotion in their lifetime and is able to understand the general concept, it is

almost impossible to know each emotion, how you react to that emotion, and what you will do in

response. The novel, Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, highlights the causes and

consequences of a variety of emotions by following the lives of Ifemelu and Obinze, two native

Nigerians in love. Ifemelu moves to America where she first recognizes what it means to be

Black, and Obinze moves to England illegally where he is forced to experience the hardships of

being undocumented. Through their story, we see the complex relationship between actions and

feelings, and are able to understand why we react to emotions the way we do. Because emotions

are so subjective and personal, the same situations or experiences can cause people to have very

different reactions. In this essay, I will explore some of these factors, specifically morals and

race, that elicit different responses. Then, I will discuss how these emotional reactions can be

used by others to manipulate the decisions that we make, and the way that we see different

events and history.

EMOTIONAL BELIEFS AND MORALS

Although we can all agree that emotions exist, a lot of people have different opinions on how we

should approach having feelings. If you look at modern parenting books, there are plenty of
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different approaches to raising children. Some believe that you should acknowledge and soothe

all of the emotions that your children are feeling, while others think that coddling will prevent

the child from being on their own in the future. The same difference in opinion applies to

philosophies and beliefs about emotions.

On the extreme end of the scale, there are Stoics. Stoic beliefs include, among many

things, that emotions like fear or envy (or impassioned sexual attachments, or passionate love of

anything whatsoever) either were, or arose from, false judgements and that the sagea person

who had attained moral and intellectual perfectionwould not undergo them (Stanford

Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Basically, they hold that any sort of emotions prevent a person

from making informed and rational decisions. While one could see where they are coming from,

this is an unpopular belief due to the fact that having emotions is so natural. But in the novel

Americanah, we see the main character Ifemelu adhering to this same school of thought. While

looking for work in America, she discovers that it is very hard to be employed without the proper

documentation and citizenship. Because of this, she is forced to accept a job from a tennis coach

who touches her inappropriately, which traumatizes her and causes her to reject all emotions

toward Obinze, the man that she loves, because of her depression. Just as the Stoics, Ifemelu

believes that she would be better off if she didnt feel anything about what just occurred. She

continues to sink deeper into depression and doesnt feel like her emotions have any value,

because she hasnt allowed herself to give them any. Even though she may have thought that this

was a good idea to start with, I believe that it gets to the point where she realizes that emotions

are necessary and healthy in a persons life, and that there is no reason to try to block them out.

Many would say that this is evidence against stoicism, because trying to dismiss emotions can
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lead to even harsher and negative feelings, so they offer a limited method of controlling

emotions.

Some philosophers like Aristotle believed in a policy of moderation, which proposed

that emotions are healthy and natural, but should be controlled (Adler 419). This philosophy

follows the beliefs that the Bible seems to encourage as well. By stating Jesus wept in John

11:35, it demonstrates that even the most perfect and heavenly person still has emotions,

showing followers that feelings are extremely normal and acceptable (New International

Version, John. 11.35). The Bible seems to crack down on the negative emotions such as jealousy

or anger. One of the Ten Commandments states that you must not want to take anything that

belongs to another person (Easy-to-Read Version, Exod. 20.17). This is the only Commandment

that isnt focusing on an action, but instead an emotion. It dictates that envy and jealousy are

sins, and because the two are the only emotions mentioned in the Commandments, many might

believe that these are the worst two emotional sins. The other emotion often addressed is anger.

Following the idea that emotions are inevitable, the Bible mentions that in your anger [you

should] not sin, conceding that we will experience the emotion, but the key is to not commit any

actions with that anger in mind. Also, in the same verse, it commands us to not let the sun go

down while you are still angry, and [to] not give the devil a foothold (New International

Version, Ephesians, 4.26-27). Lastly, adding onto this belief, anger is also referenced in the Book

of James, when it says that we should be slow to become angry (James 1.19). In these couple

of verses, it shows the philosophy of the authors: Anger is inescapable, so the real task is to learn

how to control it and know when to let it go. From this message, followers can see that it isnt

the emotions themselves that are harmful, but instead the negative effects of them, such as insults
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or hatred. However, anger might not be able to disappear as easy as the Bible might allow you to

think, which causes people to turn to some possibly controversial methods to help them cope

with their emotions.

Medication and therapy are some popular methods that people use to control their

emotions, but some of these methods are constantly questioned by medical professionals,

religious leaders, etc. Some believe that our morals directly contradict the medical methods to

control emotions, but this is constantly disputed because everyone has a different set of morals,

so it can be difficult to come to a consensus. Adler mentions in his chapter on emotion that:

Because they can be ordered when they get out of order, the emotions raise

problems for both medicine and morals. Whether or not there is a fundamental

opposition between the medical and moral approaches to the problem, whether

psychotherapy is needed only when morality has failed, whether morality is

itself partly responsible for the disorders which psychotherapy must cure, the

differences between the medical and moral approaches is clear. Medically,

emotional disorders call for diagnosis and therapy. Morally, they call for

criticism and correction (419).

Basically, Adler is saying that with one method, you may eventually end up needing the other

because they are so closely linked, but the actions that each call for are completely different. This

is seen in the aforementioned novel, Americanah, when Ifemelus nephew, Dike, attempts

suicide. Dikes mother, who is the symbol of Americanization in the novel, believes that the

suicide attempt is due to Dikes depression, which she is attributing to biology and a medical

condition. On the other hand, Ifemelu is sure that the cause of his actions is because he doesnt
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feel like he belongs in his school, community, or America. Aunty Uju wants Dike to go to

therapy and get medicine, taking on the medical approach to controlling emotions. But, Ifemelu

takes the moral approach, saying that the other method is ignoring the cause of the issue. She

thinks that before Aunty Uju turns to medication, she needs to just sit down to talk with Dike and

help him sort out his feelings in order that they can correct what is making him feel so out of

place and depressed, which she believes is his racial differences in America.

RACE AND EMOTIONS

Race has a strong influence on the emotions that we feel because it is such a big part of our

identity. Racism is all about emotions. For the oppressor, it is about hate, superiority or prejudice

about the other race. For the oppressed, it is about feeling persecuted, disliked and

misunderstood. This can also lead to anger, fear, and/or indignation. But, race and emotions

dont always have to be negative. Someone can feel proud about their race, they can love a

person that isnt the same color as them, or they can feel a sense of community with people of

their same race. Emotions and race are so closely linked that when one is considering emotion,

they always have to look at the race of the person because it can cause differences in the way that

they react.

In the case of Dike, we can see that he doesnt feel like he belongs in his community

because he is one of the only Black boys in his neighborhood and school. This takes an

incredible toll on his self esteem because he is always feeling like the other in his friend group

and school. He mentions to his aunt that he was accused of hacking the principals computer,

even though he doesnt know the first thing about how to do that. His friends also joke that he is

a drug dealer, when again there is no evidence of him partaking in those activities. He knows that
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this is all occuring because he is Black and because of the stereotypes that accompany his race.

This isnt an uncommon thing, many Black boys (and girls) are accused of crimes that they

didnt commit, or joked about as a criminal because of the color of their skin. But, in Dikes

situation, his mother wont acknowledge that he is a Black man in America. This is troublesome

for Dike because he doesnt identify with his peers which can be detrimental to a young adult

trying to find himself. He doesnt feel like he has a place in any group (Blacks, Whites, nor

Africans), causing him to disassociate with the world (which leads him to his decision to attempt

suicide). This can occur with anyone, and like Dike, have potentially life-threatening effects.

These emotions of isolation and otherness are also shown in the movie, Dear White People,

directed by Justin Simien. As one of the main characters, Lionel, is trying to find himself (just as

Dike did), he is told by many of his classmates that he is either only technically Black or that

he talks white (Dear White People, 1:07:36). Now, although this may seem harmless because its

not really an insult, it can have a lot of negative effects on the character. Just like Dike, he

doesnt feel like he belongs in any group, because he believes that he is too White for Black

people, and too Black for White people. This can also be seen when someone says to a

non-Spanish speaking Latinos that they arent Latinos because they cant speak the language. As

the non-Spanish speaking, Latina blogger, Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, puts it, [she has] struggled

with cultural identity for years and [...] always felt like [she has] never had a place. Dancing

between two worlds in cultural limbo (atypicalfamilia.com). This kind of dilemma can do a lot

of harm for anyone because people can feel as though they are different than everyone else, and

that something is wrong with them. When people find themselves in these situations, some might
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want to succumb to those emotions, but it is healthy and beneficial to be a part of a group where

you can be yourself and feel comfortable.

We all want to feel included, accepted, and wanted; its part of our emotional need of

belonging. This is why we create friend groups, clubs, etc. On a larger scale, this can be seen in

some colleges and universities. There are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) that were formed when schools were segregated and

minorities werent allowed into normal colleges. But, now that legal segregation is over, one

may ask, why are these universities still majority Black or Hispanic? This comes from the same

reason that someone might create a club for people who like surfing, they want to be with people

who understand them and wont judge them for this aspect of their life. But, not every Black or

Hispanic attends these universities, so what do they do when they want to feel like they are part

of a community? There are organizations and clubs such as the Black Student Union, Filipino

Student Association, NAACP, and various others that are based on racial partnership and

community. There are also different housing opportunities (an example being the fictional

historically black Armstrong-Parker dorm in Dear White People) that minority students can live

in to be surrounded by people that look like them. This creates that sense of community that so

many desire. When people are surrounded by peers that we know wont make fun of us for the

color of their skin, especially when that is something that they experience on the daily, it is easier

to be themselves without hesitations. This helps to build up self-esteem which allows us to

process situations and emotions differently, and usually more positively. This sense of

community is also important because it allows us to connect with people who can understand the

experiences and emotions that we have, and for us to reciprocate.

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While empathy isnt an emotion in and of itself, it is the ability to understand what

someone else is going through and react with the appropriate emotional response. In our world,

with the extreme diversity of people, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find someone who

will know exactly what you are going through, but race is a good place to start. Ifemelu from

Americanah has a blog in which she discusses her interactions with race, specifically the subtle

racisms that she has experienced in America. She does this, not only to be a cathartic activity,

like it started, but to be a source of showing people that they have someone who understands

them and to communicate that they are not alone in their struggles. Similarly, in Dear White

People, the main character, Sam, has a radio show titled, Dear White People, where she

discusses the issues of race at the university. She becomes a way for Black students to discuss

their frustrations with their negative experiences and again, to show other students that they are

not alone. Also, in the article, Black twitter? Racial hashtags, networks and contagion, the

author discusses how Baratunde Thurston has highlighted that Blacktags [which are hashtags

that primarily have to do with Black culture or are trending in the Black Twitter community]

express a 'call-response' form of exchange associated with African-American culture that

convey the bitter humor of the dozens. He elaborates by saying:

'Playing the dozens,' one of the more popular African American language

games, is also a strategic survival tool ... These games are part of the humor that

continues to fulfil the need for a sense of power in the midst of misery, the need

for both a morale booster and amusement in Black culture .... (Sharma 62).

I think that the blog, radio show, and Black Twitter, like stated in the quote, are all ways for

people in the Black community to share their experiences in a safe environment where they can
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relate to others without being judged as they would in person. As Ifemelu, Sam, and Black

Twitter users discuss controversial topics or experiences that they have had due to the color of

their skin, they allow for that community to feel comfortable, safe, and not alone in the

oppression or negative things that they have experienced, which shows to be extremely

important. These differences in our emotional reactions are very important because they can have

a giant impact on the choices we make.

HOW EMOTIONS INFLUENCE DECISIONS

Decisions are made in a step by step process that starts off with an emotional trigger. Jason King

in his article, Feelings and Decision Making, outlines the philosophies of Thomas Aquinas and

Bernard Lonergan, how they interact with one another, and relates that to our everyday life. He

says that decisions derive from feelings in a series of four steps. In his words, feelings: a)

frame ones experience in b) an eudaimonistic way and, in doing so, c) propose a script, a

possible course of action, that is then d) evaluated by a judgment of value (King 40-41). In

other words, he states that feelings cause you experience things or events in a specific way,

which then is evaluated to see if that experience will cause happiness, then a series of actions are

proposed, and are decided on according to the values of the individual. He also mentions that

people may differ in their emotional responses to broccoli or chocolate or meat and an

individual may at one time enjoy meat, chocolate, and broccoli and in another state or time be

repulsed by themfeelings arise in response to the object in that persons mind (44). We can

all relate to this; sometimes we may love something and a just a little bit later, it may repulse us.

Martha Nussbaum, an American philosopher, states that feelings are not independent, but instead

gain or lose value depending on the object and/or situation (44). In Americanah, Ifemelu has this
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change in opinions with Obinze. During her time in Africa at the beginning of the book, she is in

love with Obinze and feels comfort around him. But, this changes after she visits the tennis

coach who causes her to feel dirty and disloyal. So, at this point, Ifem shuts off all

communication with him because she feels guilty and sad whenever she thinks of him. This

change in feelings comes from her change in situations, those being before and after she had

relations with the coach, altering her opinions on the person according to the way that she now

feels when she thinks of him. This decision process isnt unknown to advertisers and marketers,

which can allow them to take advantage of our lack of knowledge on our own emotions.

In the commercial world of today, we have to learn to be aware of what we are feeling so

that our emotions wont get the best of us. There are so many goods and services available for us

to buy, that we have to be smart with the money that we spend, and only buy the things that we

can afford and/or that we need. But we dont always adhere by these rules. You may wonder

why you bought that new bedspread when you had a perfectly good one before, or why you

splurged on that hamburger when you werent even hungry. This is mostly due to the way that

advertisers have manipulated your feelings so that you would do what they want, purchase what

they are selling.

By analyzing the way that the majority of the population will react to an advertisement,

companies are able to choose specific and special marketing methods that will benefit them. In

Predictably Irrational, the author, Dan Ariely, brings up the example that even though people

may not buy the most expensive item on the menu, they might buy the second. This helps

companies because the second most expensive item on the menu might be set up to give a larger

profit for the company (Ariely 4). This was most likely done because they probably know most
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people dont like to spend the most of money that they can, but people still like to dine well.

Therefore, by making the most profitable item the second most expensive item, it causes people

to think that they are still eating an enjoyable, high quality meal for less expensive than the

alternative. In other words, the person responsible for this tactic knows that we like to feel happy

and indulge, but at the same time, we dont want to come across as spoiled or spend too much

money. They use this knowledge of the common emotional response to their advantage, having

us buy their most profitable food. One way that we as consumers might be able to avoid these

tricks would be to gain some emotional intelligence. This refers to being able to recognize,

understand, and process the emotions of yourself and others, understand what caused them, and

how those interact with the actions that we take (Emotional Intelligence). If we are able to see

why our emotions cause us to act the way that we do, it will help us to see which actions are

justified and which ones are engineered by others to make us act that way. Emotional

intelligence wont just help with understanding what we should purchase or not purchase, but it

will also help us to understand why we see an issue or piece of history the way that we do.

Many times, media and other sources of information will mention or omit certain facts or

perspectives so that you feel a specific way about a situation or topic. In a lot of circumstances,

they will do something known as victim blaming where they make the person who suffered

seem like the bad guy or imply that it was the victims fault. This occurs in a lot of rape cases.

Many will say that the assualted was asking for it because they were drunk or because they

wore provocative clothing. By mentioning these small facts (or opinions), the source is able to

skew the viewers perception on the situation. The viewer might not sympathize as much with

the victim because they usually trust the news source or testimony, which can worsen any case
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that the victim might be pursuing against the rapist, and can cause them to also feel shameful

with themselves. This isnt just prevalent in rape cases, but can be seen in the stories of police

shooting victims as well. Usually when there is a controversial shooting, you will see news

sources mention that the victim was either a drug dealer or that they had been caught up in crime

before. This is helps the case of the police officer because it lessens the innocence of the victim,

therefore also lessening the sympathy that the victim receives. By lessening our emotional stake

in the issue, it increases the chances of the shooter getting off clean because we might blame

them less. By manipulating our emotions, these sources of information are able to change the

way that we react to a certain situation, which can be used in their favor, such as helping the

perpetrator get a less harsh punishment (or nothing at all).

CONCLUSION

We, as consumers and humans, have to be aware of our emotions and how they influence our

actions. If we are able to do this, we will be less susceptible to any manipulation that could either

influence us or others negatively. In order for this, we have to understand where our emotions

come from and what could have shaped them to be what they are. Racial perspectives, in

particular, can cause us to see situations from a different lens. Additionally, our moral beliefs and

philosophies can cause also us to frame the situation in a variety of ways. Because of these

factors and elements, our reactions to situations and circumstances can differ greatly due to their

unique meanings to all of us, as seen through the novels, movie, and other sources mentioned.
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Works Cited

Adichie, Chimamanda. Americanah. Anchor Books, 2013.

Adler, J Mortimer and Gorman, William. Chapter 22: Emotion. The Great Ideas: A

Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World. Chicago: William Benton, 1952.

413-435. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Ariely, Dan. Predictably Irrational. HarperCollins, 2008.

Dbrowski, Andrzej. "Emotions in Philosophy. A Short Introduction." Studia Humana, vol. 5,

no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 8-20.

Dear White People. Directed by Justin Simien, performances by Tyler James Williams, Tessa

Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, and Brandon P Bell, Lionsgate, 2014.

"Emotional Intelligence." Psychology Today,

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligence. Accessed 16 May

2017.

King, Jason. "Feelings and Decision Making." New Blackfriars, vol. 97, no. 1067, Jan. 2016, pp.

39-51.

Lisa [Lisa Quinones-Fontanez]. What You May Not Know About Non-Spanish Speaking

Latinos. Atypical Familia, 15 Sept. 2015,

http://atypicalfamilia.com/non-spanish-speaking-latinos/. Accessed 16 May 2017.

Sharma, Sanjay. "Black twitter? Racial hashtags, networks and contagion." New Formations,

vol.
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1, no. 78, 2012, pp. 46-64.

"Stoicism." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 15 Apr. 1996,

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/. Accessed 16 May 2017.

The Bible. Easy-to-Read Version, World Bible Translation Center, 1987.

The Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 1985.